Toasted flavor additive and method of making

ABSTRACT

A novel toasted flavor additive for enhancing the toasted flavor and appearance of food products. In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, toasted corn flavor additive (“TCF”) is made by the steps of cooking whole corn kernels in a solution of lime and water; steeping the corn; draining and washing the corn; grinding, sheeting and cutting the corn into pieces; toasting the pieces until significant browning has occurred beyond the level normally associated with consumed masa products; and grinding the toasted pieces into a powder that can be administered as toasted corn flavor additive.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present invention relates to a novel flavor additive having atoasted corn flavor, a method for making the additive, and novel foodproducts incorporating the additive. The novel flavor additive can beused to enhance or impart a toasted corn flavor to various food productssuch as corn tortilla chips made from dry masa flour.

2. Description of Related Art

Corn and its derivative products were principle food sources for thepre-Columbian civilizations of the New World. Even today, corn is astaple source of food in Mexico and in parts of Central America, andthere is global demand for corn products such as corn chips, tortillachips, tacos, tostadas and enchiladas. Many of these corn products arederived from masa dough (“masa”).

Corn products can be made from either wet masa, often called fresh masa,or dry masa flour (dry masa). In general, dry masa produces lessdesirable, lower quality products than wet masa. For example, doughderived from dry masa or low moisture-content masa tends to be lessplastic and cohesive than wet masa or high-moisture-content masa. Themore desirable wet masa, however, deteriorates quickly due to its highmoisture content. Consequently, dry masa is often used to make cornproducts because of its longer shelf-life and transportability.Manufacturers can simply rehydrate dry masa to create masa dough ratherthan nixtamilize and grind fresh corn. Furthermore, dry masa may be moresuitable in cooking applications where it is more desirable for the masadough to be buoyant in cooking oil, as dough made from dry masa tends tobe less dense than dough made from wet masa.

To understand the differences between wet and dry masa, it is helpful tounderstand how masa is formed.

The traditional method for processing fresh corn to form masa dough iscalled nixtamilization and dates back to the pre-Columbian era of theAztec and Maya people in Mesoamerica. In the traditional nixtamilizationprocess, fresh whole-kernel corn is first soaked in a solution of waterand lime (calcium hydroxide) and then partially cooked at or near theboiling point for a short time depending on the hardness of the corn.The corn is then steeped in the lime-water solution and is allowed tocool for about 8-12 hours in order to loosen and degrade the pericarp(or bran) which is the outer, fibrous layer of a corn kernel. Cookingand steeping in alkaline solution causes partial dissolution of thecuticle and other pericarp layers as well as swelling and weakening ofcell walls and fiber components. The corn kernels are then drained ofthe cooking liquor (called “nejayote), which contains loosened pericarpand other dissolved or suspended particles, and the corn kernels arewashed to remove excess lime and loose particles. Typically, up to 15%by weight of the total corn fraction is lost during the cooking andwashing steps. The corn kernels are then stone-ground to disrupt thestarch-containing cell structures. The ground, wet mixture can be mixedwith water to form fresh masa dough, or it can be dehydrated and groundto form dry masa flour. Dry masa flour can be rehydrated at a later timeto form masa dough. See Hoseney, R. C., Principles of Cereal Science andTechnology, 2nd ed., American Association of Cereal Chemists, Inc., St.Paul, Minn., USA, pp. 349-351 (1994).

The dehydration of wet masa to form dry masa flour followed byrehydration to reform masa dough causes further degradation anddeterioration of the cell walls, proteins and natural gums that givemasa dough its plasticity and texture. This degradation also causes someof the corn and lime flavor to be lost. Thus, while dry masa has alonger shelf-life, is more easily transported than wet masa, and is usedto make finished product more quickly, products derived from dry masatend to have a less desirable, lighter corn flavor, and their texture isoften not as desirable. Furthermore, when dry masa is used to make corntortilla chips, the chips tend to lack the toast points (one source ofdark speckles) that naturally form on the surface of similar chipsderived from wet masa. This is because dough derived from dry masa flourgenerally has less moisture than dough derived from fresh masa, which inturn means that dry-masa chips undergo less baking or toasting thanfresh masa chips during the cooking process. Research has shown thatmany consumers prefer corn chips having randomly dispersed toast pointsto corn chips having a more consistent, monotone color. Many consumersalso prefer corn chips having a toasted corn flavor rather than chipshaving a light corn flavor.

Furthermore, there are certain manufacturing circumstances where masadough preforms must be fried without first toasting the preforms,regardless of whether they are derived from wet or dry masa. Consider,for example, an instance where it is desirable to fry preforms into aparticular shape. In such circumstances, those preforms cannot betoasted before frying because toasting would render the preforms toostiff to conform to fryer molds. The resulting products therefore lackthe toasted corn flavor and appearance that is often desired in cornproducts.

Corn flavor additives have been used to help improve the flavor of cornproducts made from masa flour. However, prior art corn flavor additivesare typically mere by-products of processes for making cornstarch.Because the germ portions of corn are often discarded in the cornstarchprocess, prior art corn flavor additives and methods for preparing suchadditives simply use the germ components that otherwise would have beendiscarded. One such prior art corn flavor additive is InnovaSureMasa-thentic #18 by Cargill Foods, which consists of lime-processed corngerm. Furthermore, prior art corn flavor additives impart only a moreconcentrated corn germ flavor and do not give products a more toastedflavor. While prior art corn germ additives help enhance the flavor offoods, they fail to impart a toasted flavor or give products theappearance of having toast points.

Consequently, a need exists for an additive for enhancing the toastedcorn flavor and visual characteristics of corn products made from masadough. Such an additive should enhance the toasted corn flavor in cornproducts such as corn tortilla chips made from masa flour, and it shouldgive products the appearance of having natural toast points. Thisadditive should impart a toasted corn flavor and appearance for productsmade without the benefit of a toasting stage. Such an additive shouldalso be easily manufactured and readily incorporated into existingprocesses for making corn products from masa dough.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, toasted cornflavor additive (“TCF”) is made by the following steps: 1) whole cornkernels are cooked in a solution of lime and water; 2) the corn issteeped and allowed to cool; 3) the corn is drained and washed; 4) thecorn is ground, sheeted and cut into pieces; 5) the pieces are toasteduntil significant browning has occurred beyond the level normallyassociated with consumed masa products; and 6) the toasted pieces arethen reground into particles which can then be administered as toastedcorn flavor additive. These steps can be performed in either a batch orcontinuous process.

The resulting TCF particles have the following characteristics: an ashcontent higher than that normally found in consumable products, amoisture content of about 0.1% to about 15% by weight, more preferablyfrom about 0.5% to about 6%; an oil content of about 2.0% to about 5.0%by weight, more preferably from about 3.0% to about 4.0%; and adistribution of particles sizes such that roughly 75% or more of theparticles have U.S. mesh screen sizes between 16 and 50 (300 to 1180microns), more preferably a distribution of coarse particles (orparticulates) having an average U.S. mesh size of 20 (850 microns) andfine particles (or particulates) having an average U.S. mesh size of 40(425 microns).

In one embodiment, a fried, untoasted corn masa product containing TCFwas formed by mixing, sheeting, cutting, and frying a mixture of 12.5lbs of preconditioned dry masa, 7.0 lbs of starch, 1.32 lbs of TCFadditive, 0.06 lbs of emulsifier, 4.50 lbs of water, and 1.0 lbs ofother ingredients. The resulting product had the following composition(percentages expressed by weight): 36.4% dry corn masa; 26.7% starch;3.7% TCF; 0.05% emulsifier; 27.9% oil; a moisture content of 1.2%; andother additives for the remaining fraction. In flavor optimizationmethod tests for toasted corn flavor, the fried, untoasted TCF-enhancedproduct came in at parity with a control sample of tortilla chips thatwere formed from wet masa, toasted and fried in a typical manner. Inaddition, product samples of untoasted, TCF-enhanced corn masa productscontained twice as much dimethyl-ethyl-pyrazine (an aromatic compoundassociated with toasted corn flavor) as control samples of similarproducts made without TCF.

Depending on the particle size of the TCF additive used and the methodused to apply it to the product to be enhanced, the TCF additive caneither give the finished product the appearance of having natural toastpoints dispersed throughout, give the product a consistent darker color,or both. This is because larger particles of TCF also serve asartificial toast points. TCF particles also enhance the toasted cornflavor of products made from dry or wet masa.

TCF-enhanced dry-masa snack products made in accordance with the presentinvention have visual and flavor characteristics that are more desirablethan non-TCF-enhanced dry-masa snack products. Unlike traditionaldry-masa snack products, which tend to have bland corn flavors andhomogenous colors, TCF-enhanced dry-masa snack products have a toastedcorn flavor and contain dark specks (artificial toast points comprisingdispersed TCF particles) that resemble toast points.

While the preferred embodiments disclosed herein relate specifically tocorn products, the novel method for adding or enhancing a toasted flavoralso applies to other grains and starch-based foods. Substances amenableto the novel toasted-flavor-enhancing method include but are not limitedto: oats, barley, rice, wheat, beans, corn flour, masa corn flour, corngrits, corn meal, tapioca, potato flour, potato granules, potatoflanules, potato flakes, as well as modified starches, native starches,and dehydrated starches, starches derived from tubers, legumes andgrain, for example corn wheat, rye, rice, waxy corn, oat, cassava,barley, waxy barley, waxy rice, glutinous rice, sweet rice, amioca,potato, waxy potato, sweet potato, sago, waxy sago, pea, sorghum,amaranth, tapioca, and mixtures thereof. Furthermore, this method forenhancing the toasted flavor of foods also encompasses the recycling andtoasting of scraps, lace, and waste from a given food manufacturing linein order to form a toasted-flavor additive.

The above as well as additional features and advantages of the presentinvention will become apparent in the following written detaileddescription.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The patent or application file contains at least one photograph executedin color. Copies of this patent or patent application publication withcolor drawing(s) will be provided by the Office upon request and paymentof the necessary fee.

The novel features believed characteristic of the invention are setforth in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, as well asa preferred mode of use, further objectives and advantages thereof, willbe best understood by reference to the following detailed description ofillustrative embodiments when read in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a flow chart of a process for making a toasted corn flavoradditive in accordance with one or more embodiments of the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is a flow chart of a method for making corn tortilla chips fromdry masa flour and using TCF to enhance the flavor and appearance ofsuch chips in accordance with one or more embodiments of the presentinvention;

FIG. 3 is a chart showing the raw materials and amounts that were usedto make a sample of fried, untoasted corn chips having TCF additive inaccordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 4 a and 4 b are charts showing the comparative consumer testresults of flavor optimization method tests for toasted flavor insamples of standard tortilla chips, untoasted dry masa chips without TCFadditive, and untoasted dry masa chips with TCF additive;

FIG. 5 is a graph of dimethyl-ethyl-pyrazine concentrations in samplesof standard tortilla chips, untoasted dry masa chips without TCFadditive, and untoasted dry masa chips with TCF additive;

FIG. 6 is a flow chart of a method for making an extruded corn snackfood from dry masa flour and using TCF to enhance the flavor andappearance of such snack food in accordance with one or more embodimentsof the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a chart comparing the moisture, oil, and color levels of oneembodiment of TCF, Cargill Flavor Enhancer #10, and Lifeline Masa;

FIGS. 8, 9 and 10 are charts showing the results ofrapid-viscosity-analysis tests performed on samples of Cargill FlavorEnhancer #10, Lifeline Masa, and TCF additive made in accordance withthe present invention, respectively; and

FIG. 11 is a color photograph showing from top to bottom: TCF additive(fine and coarse particles); fried dry masa chips without TCF additive;and fried dry masa chips with TCF additive.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Toasted Flavor Additives

Many products made from various grains and other starch-based foods lacka toasted flavor and could benefit from an enhanced toasted note. Whilethe example additives and methods for making and using such additivesdisclosed herein relate specifically to corn products, the methodsdescribed herein also apply to other grains and starch-based foods.Substances amenable to the disclosed toasted-flavor-enhancing methodsinclude but are not limited to: oats, barley, rice, wheat, beans, cornflour, masa corn flour, corn grits, corn meal, tapioca, potato flour,potato granules, potato flanules, potato flakes, as well as modifiedstarches, native starches, and dehydrated starches, starches derivedfrom tubers, legumes and grain, for example corn wheat, rye, rice, waxycorn, oat, cassava, barley, waxy barley, waxy rice, glutinous rice,sweet rice, amioca, potato, waxy potato, sweet potato, sago, waxy sago,pea, sorghum, amaranth, tapioca, and mixtures thereof. “Starch-basedmaterials” refer to naturally occurring, high polymeric carbohydrates ineither natural, dehydrated or flour form. Furthermore, this method forenhancing the toasted flavor of foods also encompasses the recycling andtoasting of scraps, lace, and waste from a given food manufacturing linein order to form a toasted-flavor additive.

Toasted Corn Flavor Additive

While the prior art methods for making a corn flavor additive use onlythe germ portions of corn kernels, a method in accordance with apreferred embodiment of the present invention uses whole corn kernels toform a toasted corn flavor additive (“TCF”). The germ portions of thecorn need not be isolated from the rest of the corn components. However,TCF can still be formed from individual parts of corn kernels orcombinations thereof.

FIG. 1 is a flow chart of a process 100 for making TCF in accordancewith one or more embodiments of the present invention. The overallprocess 100 can be summarized as follows: 1) whole corn kernels arecooked in a solution of lime and water; 2) the corn is steeped andallowed to cool; 3) the corn is drained and washed; 4) the corn isground, sheeted and cut into pieces; 5) the pieces are toasted with theassistance of infrared radiation and a hot oven until significantbrowning has occurred beyond the level normally associated with consumedmasa products; and 6) the toasted pieces are then ground into particleswhich can then be administered as toasted corn flavor additive. Thesesteps can be performed in either a batch or continuous process.

In the first stage 110 of the process 100 shown in FIG. 1, dry wholecorn kernels 102 are introduced into a solution of water and lime(calcium hydroxide) 112. While the exact concentration of lime is notparticularly critical to the present invention, the concentration issuch that the pH of the solution typically ranges from about 10 to about14. The corn 102 is then cooked in the lime-water solution 112 near butbelow the boiling point for a time ranging from a few minutes to aboutan hour. Typical cooking temperatures range from about 70° C. to about100° C. However, higher temperatures can be used if the cooking step 110is performed under pressure. Cooking the corn 102 in the lime-watersolution 112 helps soften the kernels 102 and loosen the outer pericarp(bran) layers. It also causes the cell walls and fiber components toswell and weaken, as well as partially gelatinize the starchy endosperm.

In the soaking/steeping stage 120, the mixture of corn and lime-water115 is allowed to cool and steep for a period of time ranging from about8-12 hours. Steeping causes further loosening of the pericarp, softeningof the kernels, swelling and weakening of the cellular structures, andgelatinizing of the endosperm.

In the draining stage 130, the excess lime-water solution, loosepericarp and other solubilized material 132 are drained from the steepedmixture 125. The solution to be drained 132 is often called “nejayote.”The draining stage 130 typically comprises sifting the corn kernels 135over a sieve or other mesh-type barrier. However, other methods ofseparating the kernels 135 from the steeped mixture 125 can be used.

The corn kernels 135 are then washed with water 142 in a washing stage140 to remove any lime-water, loose pericarp and other solubilizedsubstances 144 that remain entrained. Alternatively, the draining andwashing stages 130, 140 can be combined into one process step. Forexample, as the corn kernels 135 are sifted over a sieve and thelime-water 132 drains through the sieve, water 142 can also be fed overthe kernels 135 to enhance the removal of loosened pericarp anddissolved particles 144. After the cooking, soaking, draining andwashing stages 110, 120, 130, 140, up to about 15% by weight of thestarting corn fraction will have been lost. (Unless otherwise stated,all fractions and percentages expressed herein are by weight.) At thispoint, the corn 145 has a moisture content of roughly 50% by weight.

Next, the lime-treated wet corn kernels 145 (called “nixtamal”) proceedto a grinding stage 150. The corn 145 can be ground or milled innumerous ways. For example, the corn 145 can be ground with an apparatusas simple as a mortar and pestle. For commercial purposes, industrialgrinders can be used to mill large quantities of wet corn. Grinding andmilling processes are well known in the art and need not be described indetail herein. The grinding disrupts the corn kernels' cellularstructures and releases the starchy endosperm, causing the mixture 145to thicken. If necessary, water can be added to ensure that the mixture145 forms into wet (or “fresh”) masa dough 155. The ground mixture 155typically has a moisture content of approximately 30-50% by weight.However, the moisture content may vary depending on the length ofcooking and steeping time, as well as the type of grinding method used.

Although FIG. 1 depicts one embodiment in which corn kernels are cooked,steeped, drained, washed and ground to produce fresh nixtamilized dough(“fresh masa dough” or “wet masa dough”), the dough can be producedusing other methods. For example, a mixture of milled whole cornkernels, lime and water can be extruded and heated in an extrusion orkneading chamber to form masa dough. This method and other methods forforming fresh masa dough known in the art provide viable substitutes forthe one or more of the first five stages depicted in FIG. 1.

After the nixtamilized corn 145 has been formed into dough 155, itproceeds to a sheeting/cutting stage 165 where it is sheeted and cutinto pieces 165. The sheeting can be accomplished by passing the groundmixture 155 through one or more rollers or presses. The fresh masa dough155 can be sheeted to a thickness ranging from about 0.1 mm to about 2.0mm, but more preferably from about 0.3 mm to about 1.0 mm. In thepreferred embodiment, the masa dough 155 is sheeted to a thickness ofapproximately 0.65 mm. Once formed into a flat sheet, the sheetedmixture is then cut into manageable pieces 165 (TCF preforms). Ifdesired, the sheeting and cutting steps can be combined into the sameapparatus so that the sheeting and cutting occur essentiallysimultaneously. As sheeting and cutting methods are well known in theart, they need not be described in detail herein.

The TCF preforms 165 are then toasted in a toasting stage 170. TCFpreforms 165, however, are toasted to a much greater extent than that towhich corn masa preforms are normally toasted while forming a consumablecorn tortilla chip. The toasting stage 170, involves exposing thepreforms 165 to conductive, convective and/or radiant heat. Conductiveheat is heat that is transferred to the food by direct contact with aheated medium. Convective heat is heat that is transferred to the foodby currents of hot air. Radiant heat is heat that is transferred fromhot surfaces to the food via radiation (light rays).

In the preferred embodiment, all three types of heat are employed.However, it is not necessary to use all three types of heat, andalternative methods can be used to obtain the desired level of toasting.For example, in one set of embodiments, only one of the three types ofheat is used. In yet another set of embodiments, various combinations oftwo of the three types of heat are used.

Direct conductive heat can be applied to the preforms 165 in thetoasting stage 170 by placing the preforms 165 directly on a hot ovenpan or passing them along a hot conveyor belt through an oven. Thedirect heat provided by such a pan or conveyor belt helps form toastpoints on the preform bottom surfaces that are touching the pan or belt.Other methods of providing conductive heat include, but are not limitedto, directly contacting the preforms 165 with heated ceramichearthstone, firebrick or composite hearth.

A convective heat source can be provided from any cooking device inwhich currents of hot air transfer heat to the surface of the food.Ovens or toasters using natural or forced convection can be used. Forexample, an impingement oven (or hot-air jet oven), such as thatmanufactured by Enersyst Development Center, can be used to provideconvective heat. Impingement ovens typically use ported manifolds todirect jets of air onto the product surfaces. These jets of air disturbthe boundary layer of air and moisture that insulate the product, thusquickening the cooking process.

An infrared oven or burner can also be used in the toasting stage tofurther brown the preforms and cause toast points to form on the sidesexposed to the infrared radiation. An infrared burner typicallycomprises a plurality of porous ceramic plates or metal screens uponwhich premixed air and gases are combusted. The combustion imparts highsurface temperatures to the infrared burner, which can often reach 1800°F., and causes the burner to emit radiant heat. Infrared ovens can beobtained from manufacturers such as the Radiant Technology Corporation.

Alternatively, combination ovens such as a hot-air/infrared ovenmanufactured by Glenro Inc. can also be employed. Such ovens providevarious combinations of conductive, convective and radiant heatsimultaneously without modification. By combining two or more types ofheat in one oven, residence times in the toasting stage 170 can besharply reduced, and toasted flavors and colors can be formed moreeffectively.

In the toasting stage 170, the TCF preforms 165 are cooked to reduce themoisture from roughly 50% by weight to a moisture content ranging fromabout 0.5% by weight to about 15% by weight, depending on the desiredamount of browning and toasted flavor. In the preferred embodiment, theTCF preforms 165 are cooked to reduce the moisture content toapproximately 1% by weight. The TCF preforms 165 are cooked to formtoasted TCF pieces 175 (or “flavor pieces”) until there is significantlymore browning than in typical corn tortilla chips that would be offeredto consumers. It is important to note, however, that while the finalmoisture content is an indication of the amount of browning and thetoast-point density that has been produced, other processing conditionsaffecting browning must also be considered. For example, it is possibleto gently dehydrate preforms 165 to a low moisture content withoutproducing significant amounts of browning. Conversely, it is alsopossible to rigorously heat preforms 165 to cause significant amounts ofbrowning even though the moisture content is still relatively high.Thus, the temperature gradients and the rate of dehydration must becontrolled to create the desired level of browning.

If desired, the TCF preforms can be fried in hot oil after being toastedin a toasting stage 170. Thus, in another embodiment, the sheeted andcut TCF preforms are first toasted to reduce the moisture level andimpart a toasted color and flavor to the preforms. Then the preforms andfried in hot oil to further reduce the moisture content to the desiredlevel.

After grinding, sheeting, cutting and toasting (and frying, ifapplicable), the browned TCF pieces 175 then proceed to another grindingstage 180 where they are reground into granules/particles or a powder185. This powder or “regrind” can be used as toasted corn flavoradditive for enhancing the taste and appearance of food products,especially those derived from dry masa flour. Various grinding methodsand apparatuses can be used depending on the desired properties of theresulting additive (“regrind”) 185. For example, an industrial grindersuch as one manufactured by Urschel Laboratories, Inc. can mill the TCFpieces 175 into particles of various sizes.

The resulting TCF particles have an ash content higher than thatnormally found in consumable products. They have a moisture content ofabout 0.1% to about 15% by weight, more preferably from about 0.5% toabout 6%. The TCF particles have an oil content of about 2.0% to about5.0% by weight, more preferably from about 3.0% to about 4.0%. Thedistribution of particles sizes is such that roughly 75% or more of theparticles have U.S. mesh sizes between 16 and 50 (300-1180 microns),more preferably a distribution of coarse particles (or particulates)having an average U.S. mesh size of 20 (850 microns) and fine particles(or particulates) having an average U.S. mesh size of 40 (425 microns).

Whereas prior art corn flavor additives and product methods use only thegerm portions of corn, which must be separated from the othercomponents, a toasted corn flavor additive in accordance with thepresent invention uses whole corn kernels. Thus, the composition andphysical properties of TCF are significantly different from those ofprior art corn germ additives. FIG. 7 is a chart comparing the moisture,oil, and color levels of one embodiment of TCF, Cargill Flavor Enhancer#10 (a commercially available corn germ flavor additive), and LifelineMasa (a commercially available dry corn masa). Whereas the particularembodiment of TCF tested had a moisture content of 1.70% by weight, theCargill Flavor Enhancer and Lifeline Masa had higher moisture levels of7.44% and 9.84% by weight, respectively. The TCF and Lifeline Masa bothhad an oil content of less than 4% by weight, whereas the Cargill FlavorEnhancer had a significantly higher oil content of 24.20% by weight.

FIGS. 8, 9 and 10 are charts showing the results ofrapid-viscosity-analysis tests performed on samples of Cargill FlavorEnhancer #10 (a commercially available corn germ flavor additive),Lifeline Masa (a commercially available dry corn masa), and TCF additivemade in accordance with the present invention, respectively. The resultswere obtained using a Rapid Visco Analyzer manufactured by NewportScientific, Narrabeen, Australia. In FIGS. 8, 9 and 10, the horizontalaxes 810, 910, 1010 measure the elapsed time in minutes, the leftvertical axes 820, 920, 1020 measure the viscosities of the test samplesin rapid viscosity units (RVU), and the right vertical axes 830, 930,1030 measure the temperatures of the test samples in centigrade. Anaqueous slurry of each sample was held at 50° C. for five minutes,heated at 15° C./minute to 95° C., held at 95° C. for three minutes, andcooled at 7.5° C./minute to 50° C. FIGS. 8, 9 and 10 show thetemperature profiles 840, 940, 1040 for each of the samples throughoutthe 17-minute tests. In FIG. 8, the viscosity of the Cargill FlavorEnhancer remained relatively constant with RVU levels below 10.0. Incontrast, FIG. 9 shows that the viscosity 950 of the Lifeline Masasample quickly and dramatically increased with temperature to a firstpeak of 284 RVU, slightly decreased before the temperature began todecrease, and then gradually increased to an even higher peak of 412 RVUas the temperature returned to 50° C. This behavior is typical of foodsubstances with high levels of starch, since starch molecules gelatinizeand become more viscous as they are hydrated and heated. As seen in FIG.10, the TCF sample exhibited similar results, although not quite asdramatic as the Lifeline Masa (dry corn masa). The viscosity of the TCFsample increased rapidly with rising temperature from roughly 20 RVU toa first peak of 102.67 RVU, then decreased to 89.83 RVU beforeincreasing to an even higher peak of 147.17 RVU. This similar but lessdramatic behavior confirms the fact that while TCF additive containsstarch, much of the starch has already been cooked and has contributedto browning reactions during toasting.

A method in accordance with the present invention causes significantbrowning to occur in the additive, thereby giving the additive a darkcolor. The right-most column shown in FIG. 7 contains L-values that weremeasured using a Hunter-Lab calorimeter. The TCF sample had asignificantly lower L-value (L-value of 49.2) than the Cargill FlavorEnhancer (L-value of 64.1) and the Lifeline Masa (L-value of 78.4). AsL-values measure the lightness of a sample, the TCF sample's lowerL-value demonstrates that TCF additive is darker in color than dry cornmasa and corn germ flavoring. Thus, when added to a product to beenhanced, the embodiment of TCF described in FIG. 7 adds a darker,toasted color to the product and also gives such product the appearanceof having toast points. Accordingly, other embodiments of TCF additivecan also add a darker, toasted color and appearance to dry masa cornproducts as long as the TCF additive has a colorimeter L-value less thanthat of dry masa.

Depending on the particle size of the TCF additive used and the methodused to apply it to the product to be enhanced, the TCF additive caneither give the finished product the appearance of having natural toastpoints dispersed throughout, give the product a consistent darker color,or both. For example, fine particles of TCF additive can be added to drymasa dough to give the final cooked corn product a darker color and cangive the product surface a more complex, multi-toned appearance. Coarseparticles of TCF additive, which serve as artificial toast points, canalso be added onto sheeted and cut pieces of dough made from dry masa togive the final cooked product the appearance of having natural toastpoints. FIG. 11 is a color photograph showing three rows of items fromtop to bottom: TCF additive (fine and coarse particles); fried dry masachips without TCF (“non-TCF-enhanced” chips); and fried dry masa chipswith TCF additive (“TCF-enhanced” chips). As seen in FIG. 11, theTCF-enhanced chips have a darker, more complex yellow color than thenon-TCF-enhanced chips. The TCF-enhanced chips also have a higherdensity of toast points than the non-TCF-enhanced chips. Thesecharacteristics give the TCF-enhanced chips an enhanced toastedappearance. In addition, both the fine and the coarse particles enhancethe toasted corn flavor of products containing the additive.

Although the toasted flavor additive discussed above relatesspecifically to corn-flavored products, other toasted flavor additivescan be manufactured in a similar manner. For example, cereal grainproducts that are already toasted to some degree in the manufacturingprocess can simply be toasted to a much higher degree and ground to makea toasted-flavor additive. This additive can then be added back into thenormal manufacturing process to enhance the toasted flavor of the cerealproduct. Toasted-flavor additives are particularly useful formanufacturing processes that either limit or cannot accommodatetoasting. Oven-puffed cereals, for instance, are typically made bypassing preconditioned whole grains (usually wheat or rice) through anoven for partial toasting and puffing. Such products, however, cannot betoasted beyond a certain degree because a high degree of toasting wouldinhibit puffing. Preconditioned wheat or rice grains can be heavilytoasted and then ground to make a toasted flavoring that can then beadded to the normal manufacturing process to enhance the toasted flavor.Furthermore, this method for enhancing the toasted flavor of foods alsoencompasses the recycling and toasting of scraps, lace, and waste from agiven food manufacturing line in order to form a toasted-flavoradditive.

TCF-Enhanced Corn Products Derived from Dry Masa

Toasted corn flavor additive (“TCF” or “regrind”) can be used to enhancethe flavor and appearance of many food products. In particular, TCF canbe used to enhance the toasted corn flavor of corn chips (or crisps)made from dry masa flour. The dark-colored TCF grains also serve asartificial toast points and give corn chips the appearance of havingnatural toast points. These toast points help give dry-masa corn chips atoasted appearance more similar to that of toasted fresh-masa cornchips. In an exemplary embodiment, untoasted, fried corn chips with TCFexhibit nearly the same toasted corn flavor as regular corn tortillachips that are toasted and fried. The TCF-enhanced corn chips also moreclosely resemble regular tortilla chips than non-TCF-enhanced cornchips.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart of a method 200 for making corn tortilla chipsfrom dry masa flour and using TCF to enhance the flavor and appearanceof such chips in accordance with one or more embodiments of the presentinvention. First, dry masa flour and water 202 are introduced into afirst mixing stage 210 where the flour and water 202 will be mixed andtumbled or kneaded to form preconditioned masa 215. Thus, this firstmixing stage can also be called a preconditioning stage. The mixing inthe first mixing stage 210 can be accomplished with any batch orcontinuous dough mixer. For large commercial applications, industrialmixers can be used. Typically, the weight ratio of dry masa flour towater ranges from about 2:1 to about 5:1. Typical residence times in thefirst mixing stage 210 range from about 5 to about 30 minutes and morepreferably from about 10 to about 20 minutes. This residence time helpsgive the water an opportunity to soak into the masa particles.

After the masa flour and water 202 have mixed for a sufficient amount oftime to allow the dry masa to absorb the water, other ingredients suchas sugar, emulsifiers and preservatives 222 can be added in a secondmixing stage 220. However, the second mixing stage 220 need not beincluded if no other ingredients other than TCF will be added. Thesecond mixing stage 220 can occur in the same mixing apparatus, or itcan take place in a separate apparatus such as any one of the mixersdescribed with respect to the first mixing stage 210. The otheringredients 222 may include but are not limited to the following: sugar,salt, emulsifiers, lecithin, lime, vegetable gums, fumaric acid,ascorbic acid, citric acid, cottonseed oil, sunflower oil, vegetableoil, soybean oil, and modified food starch. After the desired otheringredients 222 are mixed for up to a minute or as long as is necessaryto evenly disperse the ingredients, a small amount of water is added tothe mixing ingredients to further enhance the absorption and dispersionof the ingredients throughout the masa dough 225. The dough 225continues to mix for a few minutes, more preferably for about one tothree minutes, until the dough 225 has absorbed the additional water.

While it is possible to add TCF along with the other ingredients 222during the second mixing stage 220, it is more preferable to add TCF aslate as possible in the mixing stages in order to reduce the amount oftime that the TCF is in contact with the moist dough before cooking.This is because moisture from the masa dough causes the dark toastedcolors of the TCF granules to bleed into the surrounding dough. Suchbleeding is visually undesirable in the cooked product.

After all ingredients other than TCF have been added and mixed, TCFgranules or particles 232 are gently mixed into the masa dough 225 inthe third mixing stage 230. Like the second mixing stage 220, thismixing stage 230 can occur in the same mixing apparatus, or it can takeplace in a separate apparatus. The amount of TCF added will depend onthe moisture content of the TCF, the level of toasting in the finalproduct, as well as the desired final product characteristics. The TCFadded 232 can comprise about 0.1% to about 10% by weight of the doughbasis, more preferably about 1.7% to about 4.0% by weight. The TCF 232is mixed for up to a minute or so until it is uniformly dispersedthroughout the dough 235.

As soon as the TCF 232 is uniformly dispersed, the TCF-enhanced dough235 proceeds to a sheeting/cutting stage 240 where it is sheeted and cutinto the desired preform shapes 245. The TCF-enhanced dough 235 can besheeted by passing it through one or more rollers or presses. The dough235 can be sheeted to a thickness ranging from about 0.1 mm to about 2.0mm, more preferably from about 0.3 mm to about 1.0 mm. In the preferredembodiment, the masa dough 235 is sheeted to a thickness ofapproximately 0.65 mm. Once formed into a flat sheet, the sheetedmixture is then cut into the desired snack piece shapes 245(“preforms”). If desired, the sheeting and cutting steps can be combinedinto the same apparatus so that the sheeting and cutting occuressentially simultaneously. As sheeting and cutting methods are wellknown in the art, they need not be described in detail herein.

Once sheeted and cut, the preforms 245 proceed to a cooking stage 250 tobe baked and/or fried. Before cooking, the preforms 245 typically have amoisture content of about 50% by weight. The preforms 245 are cooked ineither a batch or continuous manner until the moisture level hasdecreased to approximately 3% by weight or lower. However, highermoisture levels are acceptable if the product will be consumed fairlysoon after cooking. In the preferred embodiment, the preforms 245 arefirst baked in an air impingement oven for about 15-30 seconds atapproximately 550-600° F. Then the preforms 245 are fried in hot oilhaving a temperature of about 350-400° F. for approximately 1-3 minutesuntil the moisture content decreases to below 3% by weight. Baking thepreforms 245 before frying helps remove excess moisture that might causeblistering during frying. However, it is also possible to fry thepreforms 245 directly without a preceding baking step. While a preferredembodiment of a cooking stage 250 has been described, other embodimentsfor cooking masa dough are possible. Many methods for cooking masa doughto form cooked corn tortilla chips are well known in the art and neednot be described in detail herein.

The TCF-enhanced dry-masa corn tortilla chips 255 exiting the cookingstage shown in FIG. 2 have visual and flavor characteristics that aremore desirable than non-TCF-enhanced dry-masa tortilla chips. Unliketraditional dry-masa tortilla chips, which tend to have bland cornflavors and homogenous colors, TCF-enhanced dry-masa tortilla chips 255have a toasted corn flavor and contain dark specks (dispersed TCFparticles) that resemble natural toast points. It has been shown thatconsumers find chips having toast points and a toasted corn flavor moredesirable than those having a homogenous appearance and a bland cornflavor.

While FIG. 2 illustrates one method for forming corn tortilla chipsincorporating TCF, other methods are possible, and the present inventionis not limited to the embodiments described herein.

In one exemplary embodiment, a fried, untoasted corn masa productcontaining TCF was formed by mixing, sheeting, cutting, and frying amixture of 12.5 lbs of preconditioned dry masa, 7.0 lbs of starch, 1.32lbs of TCF additive, 0.06 lbs of emulsifier, 4.50 lbs of water, and 1.0lbs of other ingredients. FIG. 3 a lists these ingredients and theiramounts in tabular form. 10.25 lbs of dry masa and 2.25 lbs of waterwere mixed in a Foreberg Mixer for approximately 20 minutes to formpreconditioned masa. The preconditioned masa, starch, TCF additive,emulsifier, and other ingredients were dry-mixed in a Stephan Mixer forabout 30 seconds. Then water was added to the mixture, and the mixturewas stirred for an additional minute to form a dough. The dough wassheeted, cut, and fried in hot oil to form corn chips until the moisturecontent decreased to 1.2% by weight. The resulting product had thefollowing composition, which is also listed in tabular form in FIG. 3 b(percentages expressed by weight): 36.4% dry corn masa; 26.7% starch;3.7% TCF; 0.05% emulsifier; 27.9% oil; a moisture content of 1.2%; andother additives for the remaining fraction.

In flavor optimization method tests (“OMT”) for toasted corn flavor, thefried, untoasted TCF-enhanced product came in at parity with a controlsample of tortilla chips that were formed from wet masa, toasted andfried in a typical manner. FIGS. 4 a and 4 b show the flavor OMT resultsafter comparing the toasted flavor levels of standard tortilla chips tothose of untoasted dry masa chips with and without TCF additive. Wheninterpreting OMT results, mean values that share the same superscriptletter are not significantly different, whereas mean values that havediffering letters are detectably different. The p-value represents theprobability that the finding was due to chance alone. P-values of lessthan 0.05 are often considered significant, while p-values of greaterthan 0.10 are considered not significant.

FIG. 4 a shows the flavor OMT results after comparing the level oftoasted flavor of standard tortilla chips, which are toasted and fried,to the level of toasted flavor in untoasted dry masa chips, which areonly fried. The standard tortilla chips had a higher mean value than theuntoasted dry masa chips (standard 4.39 versus untoasted 3.94), and thetwo test samples were marked with different letters. Furthermore, thep-value of 0.01 shows that the test results were not due to chancealone. Thus, one can see that untoasted dry masa chips had a noticeablylower level of toasted flavor than standard tortilla chips.

FIG. 4 b shows the flavor OMT results after comparing the level oftoasted flavor of standard tortilla chips to the level of toasted flavorin untoasted dry masa chips with TCF additive. Both the standard chipsand the untoasted TCF-enhanced chips had similar values (standard 2.4versus untoasted TCF-enhanced 2.2) and shared the same letter.Furthermore, the p-value of less than 0.001 confirms that the resultswere not due to chance alone. Thus, one can see that the TCF additivegave the untoasted product a level of toasted flavor that was nearlyidentical to that of standard toasted tortilla chips.

In addition, product samples of untoasted, TCF-enhanced corn masaproducts contained twice as much dimethyl-ethyl-pyrazine as controlsamples of similar products made without TCF. Research has shown thatvarious aromatic compounds such as methional, various pyrazines andpyrrolines, are associated with toasted corn flavor in foods. SeeSilvia, M. A. A. P. da, Flavor Properties and Stability of a Corn-basedSnack: Aroma Profiles by Gas Chromatography (GC), GC-olfactometry, MassSpectrometry, and Descriptive Sensory Analysis, Oregon State Univ.,Corvallis, Oreg. 97331, USA, Dissertation Abstracts International, B1994, thesis publ. 1993, 54. Dimethyl-ethyl-pyrazine is one sucharomatic compound associated with toasted corn flavor. Thus, thecompound concentrations in foods can be used as an indicator of toastedcorn flavor. FIG. 5 is a graph comparing the concentrations ofdimethyl-ethyl-pyrazine found in standard toasted tortilla chips,untoasted dry masa chips without TCF additive, and untoasted dry masachips with TCF additive. The results shown in FIG. 5 were obtained bygas-chromatography/mass-spectrometry analysis (GC/MS). The vertical ory-axis of the graph in FIG. 5 measures the concentration ofdimethyl-ethyl-pyrazine in parts-per-million (ppm), while the horizontalor x-axis contains four vertical bars that represent thedimethyl-ethyl-pyrazine concentrations of four test samples. Readingfrom left to right, the four vertical bars represent thedimethyl-ethyl-pyrazine levels in standard toasted tortilla chips 510,untoasted dry masa chips 520, a first sample of untoasted dry masa chipshaving TCF additive 530, and a second sample of untoasted dry masa chipshaving TCF additive 540. Although the dimethyl-ethyl-pyrazineconcentrations in the two TCF-enhanced samples 530, 540 were stillsignificantly lower than the concentration in standard toasted tortillachips 510, the dimethyl-ethyl-pyrazine concentrations of the twoTCF-enhanced samples 530, 540 were more than double the amount presentin the non-TCF-enhanced chips 520. Thus, the higher levels ofdimethyl-ethyl-pyrazine demonstrate a significant increase in toastedcorn flavor with the use TCF additive.

FIG. 6 is a flow chart of a method 600 for making an extruded corn snackfood, such as corn chips, from dry masa flour and using TCF to enhancethe flavor and appearance of such a snack food in accordance with one ormore embodiments of the present invention. First, dry masa flour, waterand/or steam, and other ingredients 602 are introduced into apreconditioning stage 610 where the flour, water and/or steam, and otheringredients 602 will be mixed until the mixture is fairly homogenous.The other ingredients may include but are not limited to the following:sugar, salt, emulsifiers, lecithin, lime, vegetable gums, fumaric acid,ascorbic acid, citric acid, cottonseed oil, sunflower oil, vegetableoil, soybean oil, and modified food starch. The mixing can beaccomplished with any batch or continuous dough mixer. For largecommercial applications, industrial mixers can be used. Typically, theweight ratio of dry masa flour to water ranges from about 2:1 to about5:1. Typical residence times in the preconditioning stage 610 range fromabout 5 to about 30 minutes and more preferably from about 10 to about20 minutes. This residence time helps give the water an opportunity tosoak into the masa particles. It also gives all of the other ingredientstime to be evenly dispersed.

While it is possible to add TCF along with the other ingredients duringthe preconditioning stage shown in FIG. 6, it is more preferable to addTCF as late as possible in the process before cooking in order to reducethe amount of time that the TCF is in contact with the moist doughbefore cooking. This is because moisture from the masa dough causes thedark toasted colors of the TCF granules to bleed into the surroundingdough. Such bleeding is visually undesirable in the cooked product.

After preconditioning, the preconditioned mixture 615 of masa flour,water and other ingredients proceeds to an extruding stage 620 where itis extruded until homogenous dough or cooked product 625 is formed.Extruding for a short period of time and at fairly low temperature andpressure will result in homogenous dough, whereas extruding for a longerperiod of time and at higher temperature and pressure will both form andcook the resulting dough. In the preferred embodiment of the methodshown in FIG. 6, a twin-screw extruder is used to mix and knead themixture into homogenous dough. The high shear forces created by theextruder create heat which helps partially cook the mixture. Theextruder can comprise one section, or it can alternatively comprise twoor more sections. For example, when forming puffed corn chip products,the extruder can comprise two sections: a first section having low shearand low compression for gently mixing and blending the entering mixture615; and a second section having high shear and high compression forkneading the mixture into a dough. Additional heat can be supplied tothe extruder in order to cook the mixture 615. When the mixture/dough625 exits the second section of such an extruder, the sudden release ofpressure and steam, which forms from the heat generated by the highshear stress and any other supplied heat, causes the dough or product625 to expand and puff outward. When forming non-puffed, extruded cornsnack foods, the extruder may have an additional third section havinglow shear stress in which the dough or product 625 is cooled prior todischarge. Cooling the hot masa dough or product 625 before dischargehelps prevent it from expanding upon exiting the extruder.

In order to limit TCF 622 exposure to moisture before cooking, TCFgranules 622 are added as late as possible in the mixing and cookingprocess before cooking while still giving the TCF granules 622 anopportunity to evenly disperse throughout the dough 625. Hightemperatures, high pressures and moist conditions within an extruderincrease the rate at which TCF particles 622 and pigments undesirablydisintegrate and bleed into masa dough 625. Thus, in the preferredembodiment, TCF 622 is not added until the latter portion of theextrusion process.

After exiting the extruding stage 620, the extruded dough 625 is thensheeted and/or cut into preforms 635 in a sheeting/cutting stage 630.Depending on the type of product to be formed, the dough 625 may or maynot need to be sheeted. For example, where the extruder is used tocreate a cooked, puffed corn product, the product can simply be cut intodiscrete pieces after exiting the extruder. However, if the dough 625will be used to form tortilla chips, for example, it must be sheeted andcut.

If the snack products 635 were not fully cooked during the extrudingstage 620, the snack products 635 are then sent to a cooking stage 640as shown in FIG. 6. Before cooking, the preforms 635 typically have amoisture content of about 30-50% by weight. The preforms 635 are cookedin either a batch or continuous manner until the moisture level hasdecreased to approximately 3% by weight or lower. This cooking stage 640can be accomplished in the same manner as described above with respectto the cooking stage 250 shown in FIG. 2. After cooking 640 and/orcutting 630, the snack products 635 can then be cooled and then servedimmediately or packaged for later consumption.

The TCF-enhanced dry-masa snack products 645 exiting the cooking stage640 shown in FIG. 6 have visual and flavor characteristics that are moredesirable than non-TCF-enhanced dry-masa snack products. Unliketraditional dry-masa snack products, which tend to have bland cornflavors and homogenous colors, TCF-enhanced dry-masa snack products 645have a toasted corn flavor and contain dark specks (dispersed TCFparticles) that resemble natural toast points. It has been shown thatconsumers find corn snack products having toast points and a toastedcorn flavor more desirable than those with a homogenous appearance and abland corn flavor.

While FIG. 6 illustrates one method for forming an extruded corn snackfood incorporating TCF, other methods are possible, and the presentinvention is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

With the use of toasted corn flavor additive in accordance with theinvention, food products can be given a toasted corn flavor, as well asthe appearance of having toast points. In particular, the visualcharacteristics and taste of untoasted or lightly-toasted corn productsmade from dry or wet masa can be significantly enhanced. Whereasuntoasted or lightly-toasted corn products typically have a bland cornflavor and an overly homogenous appearance, toasted corn flavor additiveimparts a toasted corn flavor and a toasted appearance to an otherwisebland-tasting and homogenous-looking product. Toasted corn flavoradditive also is easily manufactured with existing processes for makingcorn tortilla chips and is readily incorporated into existing processesfor making corn products derived from masa flour.

The novel method for adding or enhancing a toasted flavor also appliesto other grains and starch-based foods. Furthermore, this method forenhancing the toasted flavor of foods also encompasses the recycling andtoasting of scraps, lace, and waste from a given food manufacturing linein order to form a toasted-flavor additive.

While the invention has been particularly shown and described withreference to a preferred embodiment, it will be understood by thoseskilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be madetherein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

1. A toasted corn flavor additive comprising a regrind of toasted,sheeted, freshly-made masa dough derived from ground whole corn kernels,wherein said regrind has: an oil content of about 2.0% to about 5.0% byweight; a dimethyl-ethyl-pyrazine concentration such that if saidregrind was mixed with a sample of untoasted dry masa chips, saidregrind would enable the resulting mixture to exhibit adimethyl-ethyl-pyrazine concentration of about 0.05 ppm; a colorimeterL-value of approximately 49; a moisture content ranging from about 0.1%to about 15% by weight.
 2. The toasted corn flavor additive of claim 1wherein said regrind is in the form of a powder comprising a pluralityof particles, and further wherein at least about 75% of the particleshave U.S. mesh sizes between about 26 and about
 50. 3. The toasted cornflavor additive of claim 2 wherein said particles comprise coarseparticulates and fine particulates, and further wherein said coarseparticulates have an average U.S. mesh size of about 20 and said fineparticulates have an average U.S. mesh size of about
 40. 4. The toastedcorn flavor additive of claim 1 wherein said additive has a moisturecontent ranging from about 0.5% to about 6% by weight.
 5. The toastedcorn flavor additive of claim 1 wherein said sample of untoasted drymasa chips has a dimethyl-ethyl-pyrazine concentration of 0.023 ppm. 6.A method for making a toasted corn flavor for dry masa flour, saidmethod comprising the steps of: a) forming a fresh masa dough; b)sheeting said fresh masa dough; c) cutting said dough into a pluralityof flavor preforms; d) toasting said flavor preforms to form a pluralityof toasted flavor pieces having a moisture content ranging from about0.5% by weight to about 15% by weight; and e) grinding said toastedflavor pieces into a powder to form a toasted corn flavor additivehaving: a dimethyl-ethyl-pyrazine concentration such that if saidtoasted corn flavor additive was mixed with a sample of untoasted drymasa chips, said toasted corn flavor additive would enable the resultingmixture to exhibit a dimethyl-ethyl-pyrazine concentration of about 0.05ppm; a colorimeter L-value of approximately 49; and an oil contentranging from about 2.0% to about 5.0% by weight.
 7. The method formaking a toasted corn flavor additive of claim 6 wherein said forming afresh dough in step a) further comprises: i) cooking a plurality ofwhole corn kernels in a solution of water and lime; ii) steeping saidkernels in said solution; iii) draining said solution from said kernels;iv) washing said kernels; and v) grinding said kernels to form a freshmasa dough.
 8. The method for making a toasted corn flavor additive ofclaim 6 wherein said forming a fresh masa dough in step a) furthercomprises extruding a plurality of whole corn kernels with a solution ofwater and lime to form a fresh masa dough.
 9. The method for making atoasted corn flavor additive of claim 6 wherein said sheeting of step b)and said cutting of step c) are performed simultaneously.
 10. The methodfor making a toasted corn flavor additive of claim 6 wherein saidtoasting of step d) farther comprises applying convective and radiantheat to said flavor preforms.
 11. The method for making a toasted cornflavor additive of claim 10 wherein said radiant heat comprises infraredradiation.
 12. The method for making a toasted corn flavor additive ofclaim 6 wherein said toasted flavor pieces have a moisture content ofabout 1.0% by weight.
 13. A toasted corn flavor additive made from themethod of claim 6.